Rome Odunze Sends A Clear Message To D.J. Moore And Keenan Allen
D.J. Moore had the best season of his career in 2023, going for over 1300 yards. One thing is certain this coming season. He will have to fight a lot harder for targets. This isn’t Darnell Mooney and Tyler Scott he has to worry about anymore. The Chicago Bears made that clear when they added both Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze to the mix. Moore admitted to Kay Adams that it would be a dogfight between the three of them this season. He called it a race to 1,000 yards. It depends on who forms the best chemistry with Caleb Williams and meshes with Shane Waldron’s new offense.
One thing is clear. Odunze has no intention of letting the veterans take the lead. The 9th overall pick talked about his situation during his press conference at rookie minicamps. He acknowledged the competitive environment between the three players and fully embraced it. In his mind, the best thing to do is if everybody in that room operates as if they’re the #1 guy. This means he has no intention of accepting a reserve role. Odunze will run every route 100%, never letting up.
Moore and Allen better do the same.
Rome Odunze is no stranger to competitive environments.
This is something he’s dealt with since high school. He was teammates with Cedric Tillman and Jalen Nailor. Tillman became a 3rd round pick of Cleveland, and Nailor a 6th-round pick of Minnesota. Then, in college, he worked alongside Ja’lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan in Washington. Polk became a 2nd round pick for the Patriots, while McMillan went in the 3rd round to the Buccaneers. Odunze always seems to end up in wide receiver rooms that aren’t short on talent, and he always seems to be the one who rises to the top.
It is becoming more apparent why the Bears drafted him that high. Rome Odunze isn’t just a competitor; he’s a gifted one. Usually, when those two traits are combined, you end up with an outstanding player. Moore and Allen are used to being the big dogs on offense. That mentality won’t change. Odunze is the same. If he has to fight for targets in that huddle, he will. Not with whining or constant calls for the ball but with his hard work and intent to make every single catch thrown his way.